You've seen the footage of the injury, of course. Practically every NFL fan has — everybody, that is, but Joe Theismann.

As he prepares to fly to Houston to call the Sunday night Chiefs-Texans game on ESPN, Theismann chooses to look back on that seminal moment in his life and career as the proverbial blessing in disguise, albeit one he doesn't care to relive on film.

"There are two elements in rehab — mental and physical," Theismann said this week. "I had broken my leg in 1972 in Canada, and I came back in eight weeks. In my mind, I knew that (the 1985 injury) was bad but didn't know how bad, so I said 'I've got a broken leg. I can deal with that, because I've done it before, and if I don't know how badly I'm hurt, then I can rehab and play again.'

"So I never saw all this gruesomeness. It was just a broken leg to rehab from. That is how I approached it, and as the years have gone by, I have chosen not to see (the footage). I have enough people tell me how ugly it is."

A lot of Texas football fans were never particularly fond of Theismann, given his exploits for Notre Dame against Texas in the 1970 and 1971 Cotton Bowls and his long career with the Washington Redskins.

"I had always dreamed about playing well enough that somebody would offer me a ball (endorsement) deal," he said. "I finally got my name on a ball, and they had a problem keeping the displays set up in Dallas because people would knock them over."

You may find it interesting to hear Theismann's thoughts on how he saw himself after he was injured.

"I had lost focus on football," he said. "I was not a very nice person. I had become very self-centered, very egotistical, and I felt every bit of success the Washington Redskins had was because of me. And then I was deeply humbled (by the injury), and I believe it was divine intervention. People constantly refer to it as a tragedy, but, in my mind, it was a blessing."

Theismann moonlighted for ABC on the Super Bowl broadcast the year before he was hurt, and he joined CBS Sports for two seasons after he retired. He moved in 1988 to ESPN, where he has called Sunday night games ever since alongside Mike Patrick, and will join Al Michaels on ESPN's Monday night games next year.

With Sunday Night Football on ESPN nearing its end, Theismann is mulling over appropriate pranks to play on broadcast partners Patrick and Paul Maguire before they wrap up their association at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii in January.

"Mike and I have done this for 18 years," he said. "Now they will move on to college games, and I will work with Al. I'm excited about the opportunity to go to Monday night, which has defined my career going back to when I got hurt."

Still hope for Texans

In his role on
Sunday Night Football
, Joe Theismann has seen the Texans and quarterback
David Carr
at their best, in the 2002 opener against the Cowboys, and their worst, in their 42-10 drubbing by the
Seahawks
this year.

"No one knows how good David Carr is; I still don't," he said. "I've watched him play for four years. I think he's pretty good, but I don't think he's been put in a situation where he can truly be evaluated."

Theismann cites the Texans' long string of injuries, their weak offensive line and, in his mind, the curious decision to wait until this year to replace Chris Palmer as offensive coordinator.

"You go all the way through minicamp, training camp and the first two games, and then you make a coordinator change? That creates problems," he said. "If you're looking or thinking about making changes at a certain time, you have to make them. It's already entered your mind that you want it changed, and if you don't make the changes, (problems) continue to linger."

Despite the Texans' struggles, Theismann describes the Sunday night game as winnable for the Texans and a must win for the Chiefs.

"I don't think (Houston) has the horses to compete against the upper echelon, but there's a pride factor involved," he said. "You don't want to be the only team in the league that winds up with one victory."

Four DVRs, no waiting

John Rooney
, who broadcast
White Sox
games for 18 years on radio, has joined the Cardinals. He replaces
Wayne Hagin
, who will be paid off for the final year of his contract. Cardinals games move next year from KMOX to the lower-powered KTRS. ... No updates, meanwhile, on the
Astros
' search for a road play-by-play man for next season. ...

Bob Aspromonte, Enos Cabell and Alan Ashby reminisce about Houston baseball history with Bobby Risinger on Sports Profiles — Beyond the Game at 4 p.m. Sunday on KUHT (Ch. 8). ... Baylor unveils its NCAA women's national championship banner during its opener against UCLA, which airs at 7 p.m. today on FSN Houston.

David Barron reports on television and radio sports for the Chronicle.